The Girl and the Guy
by ginnysmonkey
Summary: A chance encounter between Henry and Paige as teens will affect the rest of their lives. Better story than summary, I promise. Rated T because I'm paranoid and reviews are always loved.
1. The MeetingPaige

Paige's point of view: The Meeting

Paige sat on the stiff, metal chair that was the best the San Francisco Police Department had to offer the mourning teen. She had been sitting there for at least half an hour, and though many of her extremities had fallen asleep,she didn't care. She didn't care about anything really. She knew that she would have to wait at least a couple of hours more for her Aunt and Uncle to arrive. Once they did,then she could return to her house that was no longer home. Paige was still sitting there when,one hour later, the door opened to reveal a very tired looking officer leading by the handcuffs a teenage boy that did not look like someone you wanted to mess with. Paige also couldn't help but to note that the guy was hot. If, you know,she cared. Which she totally didn't.

She watched as the police officer looked around the room, until his eyes rested on the open chair next to Paige. She watched his eyes crease as his mouth turned into a frown, and he scanned the room for a second time. Finally he seemed to resign himself to the fact that the only open chair was next to Paige, and he sighed. She watched as he quickly talked to the boy he was leading. The boy rolled his eyes in response. The cop sighed once more while he lead the boy to the unoccupied chair next to Paige. "Behave Mitchell," the cop growled,before pushing the juvenile slightly to get him to sit down. She saw the boys glance shift to her as he did so. Paige averted her eyes and attempted to make herself invisible,something she would have never dreamed of doing before...before the accident. Then again, she wasn't the same person as she had been before the end of her world. The cop was about to shuffle away when he hesitated, " Do you need anything Miss Matthews?"

Paige shook her head in response. The cop awkwardly nodded back before shooting one more glance at the boy and walking away. After a pregnant pause, during which Paige sneaked a couple of glances at the boy, she began to feel the weight of the world on her shoulders again. The weight of it all was nearly crushing her. She pinched herself to make sure she was really there,and then took a deep breath. Yup,she was there all right. And then, like the crack of a whip,she heard a deep husky voice say, "Hey." She froze. Human contact was not something she was prepared for. Curiously,she quickly flicked her eyes in his direction. He sat there cool as could be,layed back, and he was staring at her,his brow furrowed slightly. Paige redirected her eyes down and bit her lip. Screw human contact. She watched the boy's brow furrow slightly and couldn't help but feel a tug at her heart at his scowl. "What? Are you a mute or something?"

Paige couldn't help it; the corners of her mouth twisted up a little bit. Finally, and she didn't know how, she whispered, "Or something." She shot a quick glance at him,and noticed a slight smirk forming.

"So,she speaks." He said slowly. "So, whatcha in here for? Did you cheat off someones homework?"

Paige could hear the teasing in his voice,and her old personality couldn't let him get away with it. "That, is none of your business." As soon as she said that however, she felt the momentary flame die. She remembered why she was there, and withdrew herself. He glanced over at her, and a brooding expression crossed his face. Paige watched him lean back, evidently choosing not to talk to someone who didn't want to talk to him. Fine. Paige was glad. She settled back in her chair, and crossed her arms over her chest. After another pregnant pause of about 10 minutes, Paige felt a slight thrill when the boy spoke again.

"Look,I swear,I'm not gonna bite ya or anything. That cop was overreacting." She shot a glance at him but looked away quickly. "I mean, it's not like you're made of glass,or I'm such a bad guy or anything. And for all we know,we could be sitting here with eachother for quite a while. So why not talk?"

Paige couldn't give that one up. "If you're not such a bad guy,why are you in handcuffs?"

Paige heard the boy scoff slightly. It took a couple of minutes before the boy responded, " Don't judge a book by its cover girl. I didn't feel like being at...for lack of a better term,home. So I went for a walk. I saw this...piece of scum beating on a little guy. So,I bashed his head in. My parole officer didn't agree with that. See,this isn't my first strike."

Paige felt her brain working at a million miles a minute (which,due to her old alcohol intake,she hadn't done in a long while). If this guy really did protect someone,why was he getting punished? Then again,if this wasn't his first strike,he could very easily be lying. She couldn't help but to withdraw slightly from him. She felt his eyes on her once more, skimming over her body. Paige couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy about it,but his eyes seemed to settle on a place she hadn't been expecting :her fingers. "So...you a smoker? Want a light?" Paige couldn't help to look at her fingers, looking for what he had seen. Then she remembered,the tell tale nicotine stains on her fingers surely gave away her old habits. She took a deep breath,willing herself to stay strong.

"No...thanks...recently quit actually." She replied,although she didn't speak above the volume of a whisper. She heard him let out a low whistle.

"Wow. That takes guts. How'd you do it?"

Paige hesitated for a moment,unsure how to answer. Finally, she answered. "My parents...died recently. And they never liked me to smoke...so I just thought..." Paige trailed off,unsure how much of herself she really wanted to expose to this boy. Though the boy seemed to mumble something,Paige didn't hear him. She couldn't help but start to cry, trying hopelessly to wipe away all of her tears. His next statement did take her by surprise.

"Look,don't cry. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you. I'm...so sorry. I can't even...I mean,I never knew my parents. I've been in foster care so I can't...I'm sorry."

Slightly comforted, Paige couldn't help the raw curiosity building inside of her. If it wasn't for her Aunt and Uncle, she would be in foster care. "What's foster care like?"

For a couple of minutes, Paige watched him wrestle for the right words. Finally,he answered. " Foster care is alright...for some. But the system is not the best place to grow up in. Some families...well I wouldn't wish them on anyone."

Paige watched him and couldn't help but feel a tiny bit sympathetic towards him. He wasn't such a bad guy. Before she knew it, she was voicing just that. "You're not such a bad guy you know." Then, she couldn't help but blush profusely. Her pale complexion always was one to lend itself to bright red blushes.

She saw his dark eyes shoot her a confused look, before she heard him speak again. "How do you know that? You don't even know me."

Paige didn't know where she found her voice, or the words that she spoke, but she went for it. "Because you're supposedly a 'bad guy' and yet you're sitting here, talking to a lame depressed girl. You're telling me stuff about you to try and make me feel better. You don't have to be doing that. You could be a total ass to me. But instead you're trying to be helpful."

She saw his face contort slightly, before he whispered, "Well, you're about the only person who thinks that." Then, he mumbled something she couldn't make out. Paige felt sympathy fill her. Yeah, her life was sucking right now. But she had parents. She had people who made sure she was loved, even after her birth parents dumped her. This guy...he had no one. Just then, his parole officer came back.

"Hey Mitchell, come on, time to go. I'm sorry Miss, I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

Paige's eyes met the guy's eyes for the first time. She looked down to it's darkest brown depths and shook her head. "No, it was no trouble." She told the officer. The cop looked genuinly surprised. The guy stood up and Paige saw him hesitate for a moment.

His husky voice was low when she heard him say, "It was nice to meet you. I'm so sorry."

Paige watched his back as he was lead away by his parole officer. She couldn't help but whisper, "Yeah, it was nice to meet you too." Just then, her Aunt and Uncle came rushing in, looking for her, and she allowed the boy to go to the back of her mind.

AN: So, I swear, this fic is going somewhere. The next chapter is going to be the meeting, only from Henry's POV. However, before that happens, I would love to get some reviews. So, if you want another chap., please review.


	2. The Meeting Henry

AN: So, I don't own Charmed or the character. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and please, keep them coming :) They encourage me to write more when I just want to give up. Soraya, I'm not entirely sure what you meant in your review, so if you could clarify, then I could answer you. Alright, so this is the meeting (yes,again) only from Henry's POV. The next chapter is back to Paige. I warn you, it may be a while until it's posted. And PS, Henry cusses a lot. Don't like, don't read.

Henry: The Meeting

Henry was pissed. All he did was protect a kid, and now he was in cuffs. Great. Whatever. If it meant not being at "home" it was okay by him. Well not really, but...shit, his hand hurt. You would've thought he had hit a car, not a jerks head. Henry glared silently at his parole officer, who was doing his best disappointed eyes back at him in the rearview mirror. He had yet to give his usual speech, and for that Henry was glad. He didn't think he could deal with it today. He didn't deserve this. His home life was shitty, he knew that. He didn't need to get punished by the law too. Just then, George (his parole officer) began to give his spiel. "Henry...you're a good kid. I know you are. Why the hell do you keep doing this?"

Henry felt a head ache growing. "Leave me alone George."

Henry watched George's jaw clench with satisfaction. Excellent. He had finally given up on him. For some reason though, the satisfaction he felt was tainted with bitterness. Henry stared out the window of George's car and allowed his mind to just go blank while he watched the world zoom by. He noticed the route they were taking and mentally groaned. Awesome. When his foster parents were called, he'd be killed. Or, at the very least, grounded. "George, could we maybe skip the station today?"

"Sorry kid. Until we check out if you're telling the truth or not, you get to stay in the station. You broke parole." George all but growled. Henry couldn't help but smile slightly. Yeah, he seemed real sorry. He didn't know that when Henry got home he'd be in way worse trouble than he would get from the law. As the car pulled up to the police station, Henry couldn't help but sigh. This day sucked.

George got out of the car before opening Henry's door for him. Henry bent his head and climbed out of the car before straightening up and stretching as much as he could with cuffs on. George then mumbled "Come on hot shot, let's go." Henry smirked slightly and followed George up the steps and into the station. The police station was very familiar to Henry, and he even got a couple head shakes from the cops that recognized him as they passed. Henry didn't particularly care if they didn't approve of him. They didn't know him. The station was bustling, and Henry wondered what exactly happened to light a fire under their asses.

Henry stopped walking when George stopped in the middle of the station. The older man's face contorted as he looked around the room once, and then once more. Henry could tell that he was looking for a seat where he could ditch him until they cleared his name. Or, you know, threw him in juvie. Either one. George's eyes seemed to settle on a chair next to...woah. That girl...well, she was beautiful. George sighed slightly before turning to Henry, "Do not do anything stupid,OK? You understand? Do not pass go, do not collect 200 hundred dollars, and do not do anything to upset that girl, or so help me..."

Henry couldn't help but roll his eyes. What was he, three? George apparently didn't appreciate that because the next thing Henry knew, he was being pushed towards the chair next to the girl. "Behave Mitchell," George growled, pushing him into the chair. Henry couldn't help but shoot a glance at the girl, but the moment he looked he saw her eyes flick away. Smooth Mitchell, real smooth. Henry noticed George hesitate, which was weird, because he hardly ever hesitated before he bailed. "Do you need anything Miss Matthews?"

Henry watched the girl shake her head slowly at George's question. George nodded back to her before his disappointed eyes were back on Henry. Henry accepted it fully, staring back, before George shuffled away from where they sat. Henry couldn't help but observe the girl from where he sat. He leaned back, and tried to get as comfortable as he could be while in cuffs. She was for sure very good looking. She had beautiful dark locks, big pouty lips that were turned down in a frown, a forehead creased with worry, a slim body with..._Pull yourself together Mitchell! She's a girl. Just a girl_, Henry convinced himself. _Man up._ So, deciding to make the first move, he decided the best course of action would be to talk. See, Henry wasn't a big talker. He was more of the silent type, but hey, he could make an exception for a pretty, tormented looking girl. Now why were his palms sweating? "Hey," Henry managed to say, feeling the want to smack himself in the head. Hey? How lame was that? Although she was pretty cute when she bit her lip.

He waited a moment, but with the only response he got being a stare, he felt a bit nervous. He scowled slightly and decided to try again. "What? Are you a mute or something?"

He watched as her mouth flicked up into a small smile and couldn't help to feel a small tug in his gut. Or, you know, somewhere north or south of there. "Or something." She said, and her voice, man her voice was freaking awesome. He bet he could listen to it for hours. So, despite his best efforts, he felt himself smile slightly.

"So,she speaks." Henry said slowly so that way he wouldn't hear the excitement in his voice. "So,whatcha in here for? Did you cheat off someones homework?" What the hell? Henry groaned internally. Did he seriously just ask her if she was in a police station for cheating? Awesome. He was officially the lamest juvenile delinquent to walk in this station.

"That, is none of your business." The girl replied. Her voice was quiet, but Henry found that it was pretty soothing. And the fact that she took his lameness as a joke? It was awesome. Henry waited for her to continue, and even felt himself lean towards her slightly.

When she didn't speak again, he leaned back and frowned slightly. Alright, he had tried. He wasn't a big talker anyways,so maybe he should just let it rest. He sat there, unknowingly waiting for her to talk. He waited. And waited. Until finally he couldn't take it anymore, "Look,I swear,I'm not gonna bite ya or anything. That cop was overreacting." He saw her eyes flash towards him, but she

looked away before he could catch her eye. He wondered what color they were. "I mean, it's not like you're made of glass,or I'm such a bad guy or anything. And for all we know,we could be sitting here with each other for quite a while. So why not talk?"

There. That didn't sound too lame. Well, OK, it sounded lame to him, but everything sounded lame to him when he talked. It's why he didn't talk that often.

"If you're not such a bad guy,why are you in handcuffs?" Henry couldn't help but scoff at the girls words. She didn't know him. Why should she get to judge him? He took a couple of minutes to control his anger before he managed to answer

"Don't judge a book by its cover girl. I didn't feel like being at...for lack of a better term,home. So I went for a walk. I saw this..." Henry tried to find the right word to tell the girl, "piece of scum beating on a little guy. So,I bashed his head in. My parole officer didn't agree with that. See,this isn't my first strike." Henry felt happy that he managed to tell the truth, but he saw that the girl was calculating what he said. Okay, so maybe he shouldn't have included that this wasn't his first strike, but he was just trying to be honest. He noticed that she seemed to withdraw herself from him and felt angry with himself. Damn, he said the wrong thing again.

He couldn't help but look over her body. Yeah,OK, he had to admit that he spent a bit longer on his...favorite parts than he should've, but then he continued and saw something surprising on her finger tips. He hadn't pegged her as a smoker. "So...you a smoker? Want a light?"

_Lame Mitchell, lame!_ Henry couldn't help but think. Luckily though, he didn't seem to think so because he heard her quiet reply, "No...thanks...recently quit actually."

Henry let out a low whistle. Jeez, this chick was hardcore. However, he had enough finesse that he told her, "Wow. That takes guts. How'd you do it?" He waited for her answer, but noticed her hesitation.

He was happy when he heard her shy voice, "My parents...died recently. And they never liked me to smoke...so I just thought..." Henry felt his heart grow heavy. Oh. Wow. He couldn't even... He noticed that she now had tears in her eyes and felt his heart grow heavier. He felt a want to hug her, but settled for comforting her.

"Look,don't cry. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you. I'm..." Henry tried to figure out what was best to say, "so sorry. I can't even...I mean,I never knew my parents. I've been in foster

care so I can't...I'm sorry." Henry realized after he said it that he had revealed far too much about himself. He hadn't been planning on talking about the system.

He was in the middle of cussing himself out when he heard her meek voice whisper, "What's foster care like?"

Henry hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how to put an okay spin on how shitty his life had been. "Foster care is alright...for some. But the system is not the best place to grow up in. Some families...well I wouldn't wish them on anyone." There. That sounded alright. He didn't make it sound too crappy. He felt her eyes on him, but he wasn't prepared for what she said next.

"You're not such a bad guy you know." What? Wait...what? Henry couldn't help but stare at her blankly and he had to fight the urge to smile when he saw that her cheeks were cherry red.

"How do you know that? You don't even know me." Henry replied. He felt raw curiosity build up as he wondered what her answer would be. After all, she didn't know him.

Henry couldn't help but be a little surprised when her voice sounded louder than he had ever heard it. Her voice was beautiful. "Because you're supposedly a 'bad guy' and yet you're sitting here, talking to a lame depressed girl. You're telling me stuff about you to try and make me feel better. You don't have to be doing that. You could be a total ass to me. But instead you're trying to be helpful." Henry couldn't help but feel pride build up inside him. Yeah, she didn't know him, but it was the only praise he had received in years.

"Well, you're about the only person who thinks that." Henry replied, but he felt...good about himself for the first time in a long time. He then added in a whisper, "And you're not lame and depressed. You're awesome." Henry couldn't tell if she heard him or not, and before he could ask George came up to them.

"Hey Mitchell, come on, time to go. I'm sorry Miss, I hope he wasn't too much trouble." Henry felt embarrassed by George's comment, and wanted to smack him, but instead the girl looked him in the eyes for the first time. Henry felt his breath catch up for a moment, and didn't even think it was lame. Her eyes...man, her eyes. They were the color of chocolate, and they seemed to hold all of the secrets of the world.

As he looked on into her eyes, she told George, "No, it was no trouble." Henry got to his feet and saw George's surprised face. _Thanks for the confidence man_, Henry thought.

Henry couldn't help but hesitate for a moment. He really wished he could catch her eyes, at least one more time. He tried to think of something cool to say, but all he could come up with is, "It was nice to meet you. I'm so sorry."

"Come on Henry," George whispered to him. Henry followed George, but he really wished he could just stay there. With her. He followed George all the way into the foyer of the building when George stopped. "Alright Henry, you're lucky that the people you were with collaborated your story. We're letting you off with just a warning this time. But honestly Henry, you're a good kid, and you're getting older now so next time it may not be just a warning. It may mean real time. You're almost an adult, and I don't want to see you throw your life away..."

Henry couldn't help but feel a small smile begin to creep on his face. He was wrong. George hadn't given up on him. George had never given up on him. The girl had complimented him in a lot of ways, and because of her, he could now see that George was just trying to do the same thing. "You know Georgey, I think you've gotten better at giving your spiel."

Henry let his smile spread when George chucked. Shaking his head, George unlocked his cuffs. "Go home kid. Don't forget to come to your meetings. And...for the record, I'm proud that you defended that kid."

Henry smirked, "Oh George, you're such a softie."

"Scram Henry. I'll see you later."


	3. PaigeHenry The Effects

AN: I apologize for the long wait, but here's the next chapter! It has Paige and Henry's POV. There's just one more chapter planned in this story. Thank you to everyone who had reviewed, or added my story/pen name to either their favorites or alerts. Thank you, and keep it up! I love getting comments. Once again, I do not own _Charmed_.

Paige: The Future

Paige couldn't help but groan at the headache that was making its presence known more every single second. What the hell was she going to do? These stupid, stupid college applications of course had to have the one essay prompt she didn't know the answer to: How do you think our college can help you achieve your future goals? The problem with that? Paige wasn't sure what exactly her 'future goals' were.

She knew she wanted to help people, she just didn't know how. She knew that she should want to help screwed up teenagers, like she used to be, but she also knew that she would suck at that. The only reason she had changed was because of her parents' death, and she didn't think suggesting trauma to a screwed up teenager would help the situation at all. So how on earth could she write this essay?

Her pen stood poised over the paper in anticipation for writing, but no words came to mind. What did she want to do? WHO did she want to help?

Out of nowhere, the image of a boy popped into her mind. She couldn't believe that she had nearly forgotten him. She could clearly recall his dark eyes, and how...sorry she felt for him. That's it! She wanted to help him.

Well, okay, she knew she couldn't help him, but she could help kids like him. She thought of his words, that the system was alright for some, but some of the families he wouldn't wish on anyone. She _could_ help kids like him. She could help make foster care better, or she could at least try! She could help make sure that kids like the boy wouldn't end up in trouble. She could help make sure they would get good parents, like hers had been.

With a slight smile on her face, Paige checked the social work box under major and crossed out undecided. Her writer's block gone, Paige began to furiously write the best damn essay she had ever written.

Henry: The Future

When Henry stepped into the Police Department, he couldn't help but feel a little weird. What had once been a common place in his life had become a rarity. He hadn't been there in two years. Surprised? Yeah, George had been too when, after a year, Henry had yet to get into trouble again.

It was stupid, he knew, but ever since he figured out that he had a person there for him, well...he felt a need to do right by them. He wanted George to be proud of him. And when the image of the girl popped up into his head occasionally, he liked to think that maybe she'd be proud of him too. He hoped that, where ever she was, she was okay. And, yeah, he couldn't help but wonder if she occasionally thought of him too.

Henry smiled slightly. Today...today he was shedding his skin. You know, metaphorically. _Shit_, Henry thought, _is that the right word? Crap, if I'm doing this I really need to stop cussing._ With this decision, Henry felt like he was leaving behind the old, childish Henry, and becoming a real man. One he could be with pride.

He walked up to the information step with a slight bounce in his step and felt ready. He could do this. "Uh...I was wondering if you know where I could get an application?"

The women behind the desk looked up from her trashy romance novel long enough to give him a once over and asked with a sneer, "An application?"

Henry felt himself begin to get nervous. _Keep it cool Mitchell, keep it cool._ "Yeah, an application to be a cop. Well, actually a parole officer, but I'd still have to go to the academy and..." Henry trailed off. _Damn it._ He had rambled. He never rambled. "Anyways...do you know where I can get one?"

The woman glanced over him again, and it took all Henry had in him to not glare. This chick was super creepy. Although, if she was a cop, scary would be good. Keeps the perps in line, you know? Then, she did something weird with her mouth. Was she smiling? "Sure honey, I can help you with that."

Henry felt all the the muscles he didn't know he was tensing relax. She reached behind her and grabbed a pamphlet. "Now sweetie, all you need to do is follow the steps in this pamphlet and you should be good. Come back in if you have any questions, you hear?"

Even though Henry normally would've ignored her grimace smile and instead just take the pamphlet, he couldn't help but feel...awesome. He was doing something good. He was going to help kids like him stay out of jail. He could be there for them, like George was for him. He gave the woman a smile, "Thank you. And can you tell George McNeal that...that he made a difference."

The woman looked confused. "Do you want to leave a name? Will he know what it's in reference to?"

If it was possible, Henry felt the smile on his face grow bigger, "Nope. Just tell him. And thanks again for the info." Henry nodded and left without another word. As he walked through the doors of the station (leaving a very confused information woman behind him), he felt...different. He felt proud of himself.


	4. Henry and Paige: Remembering

AN: So I know I usually do these at the end of the chapter, but I felt like this one needed to be at the beginning. First, let me apologize for it taking so long for me to get this chapter up. But, it's up! And it's the last chapter! Woo! Also, this chapter is set before Paige tells Henry the family secret, so he doesn't know she's a witch. Ok, so, read, enjoy, and REVIEW. Thanks for sticking with me, and I know it's a little cheesy, but I think you'll like it.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Charmed or its characters.

Henry&Paige: Remembering

When Henry had first met Paige, two thoughts registered immediately in his mind: 1) Why the hell is that lady dressed like that, here? and 2) Why does she look so familiar? As Henry continued to get to know her, something registered with him about her eyes. They were amazing no doubt, but there was something...deeper. Something that touched his core. He, of course, grew to like her. How could he not? She was awesome. Even so, every day when he had nothing to do, he tried to figure out how he knew her.

When Paige had first met Henry, she had been pissed, and hadn't recognized him at all. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Of course, once he further introduced himself, she realized that he was a parole officer. Awesome. Her first charge as a whitelighter, and he had a parole officer. Of course, once she got over her anger she noticed that he was really hot. You know, if she cared. Which she totally didn't. As time went on, the once annoying cop grew on her. Heck, she even let him saddle her with a baby. She didn't know why she fell for him so fast. There was a certain...vibe she got from him that made her feel good. She didn't know what, but she didn't question it. She just tried to enjoy it while it lasted. And his eyes...there was something very comforting about his eyes that Paige couldn't quite put her finger on.

It seemed inevitable that the two of them started dating, although they weren't the most conventional couple. The first time they slept together...that was when they realized how they knew each other.

Henry woke up feeling more content than he had in a long time because he could hear Paige breathing deeply in her sleep. He had to suppress a chuckle as a slight snort came out of what was otherwise a very angelic woman. He studied her for a while, trying to commit to memory every nook and cranny of this incredible person. When he saw her stir, he was going to look away, but found himself suddenly captivated by her eyes. They were so innocent and so familiar.

"You're the girl," Henry blurted out in a whisper, suddenly realizing why Paige had seemed so familiar to him.

Paige, by now fully awake, turned to him with her face scrunched up in confusion. "What? What girl?"

"The girl from the police station," He answered, staring at her in awe. For years he had imagined, and hoped, and prayed that the girl was okay. And now here she was, living proof his prayers had been answered. "Look at me. Do I look at all familiar to you?"

"Henry, it's six in the morning. The only thing that looks familiar to me is a cup of coffee. Can you please just explain?" Paige pleaded, propping herself up on her elbows. She was honestly curious as to what Henry meant, but her brain just didn't like to work before eight.

"I was seventeen and you were what, sixteen? Your parents had just died..." Henry trailed off, watching her face contort slightly at the mention of her parents. Before she could begin to question him he continued, "My parole officer brought me in and sat me down right next to you. You had just quit smoking. You asked me what the system was like."

Paige stared at Henry, at first confusedly, then with shock clearly written on her face. "You're the boy...you're the reason I became a social worker."

Henry couldn't help but feel slightly confused. "You're a social worker? Since when?"

Paige immediately found herself floundering. This was definitely not a conversation she was prepared for. "Yeah. Well, I mean, I was an assistant...working my way up the ladder, but then I met my sisters and... Well, it's a long story, but I really wanted to be a social worker...I mean, I thought I could help people in the system, since I never had to be in it and..."

Henry couldn't help but chuckle and press a light kiss to her lips. "Babe, you're rambling."

Paige blushed slightly, her cheeks immediately flushing red. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Henry replied quietly, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think it's adorable."

Paige shot him a small smile, feeling warmth spread through out her entire body. She felt so...safe with Henry. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe...maybe this is how a relationship was supposed to feel.

Henry gave her a sly grin back before continuing, "And, you know, you were part of the reason I became a parole officer. You got me to realize that my officer really did care a little about me and... well it's hard to explain and... shit. Sorry, I'm not so good with words." This time it was Henry's turn to feel his cheeks heat up. He felt so embarrassed. Damn this girl had him whipped.

Paige laughed lightly, using one finger to stroke his cheek. "My my, Henry Mitchell I do believe you're blushing."

Henry hesitated for a moment before reaching up and taking her hand into his own. He made sure that she was looking him in the eyes when he whispered, "Thank you Paige. You were...are...my angel. At least, that's how I've always thought of you. And now that I know you? I can see you're so much more. I care about you Paige."

Paige swallowed the lump in her throat as she fought tears. In true Paige Matthews fashion, instead of crying she simply laughed. "Well mister, you are quite welcome. You know, for a guy that says he's not good with words, you seem to know just what to say." She smiled slightly and leaned in to give him a kiss. Just before she did though, she leaned in closer and whispered, "And just for the record, we're different now. You're not that guy and I'm not that girl anymore. We're different. But Henry? You're awesome and amazing. And I care about you too."


End file.
